| Description | At an Ad Hoc meeting at the Royal Society on 25 November 1974;
Present: Professor W S Pitcher, in the chiar; Professor W R Dearman; Dr A B Hawkins; Professor E Hoek; Professor J L Knill; Dr J D MAther; Dr D G Price
1. Minutes
The minutes [NGL/38 (73)] of the meeting on 31 October 1973 were confirmed.
2. Brief
In welcoming those present, Professor Pitcher explained that the meeting had been convened at the request of the Chairman of the British National Committee for Geology who had ruled, at the meeting of that Committee, on 30 July 1974, that the 'preparatory panel' (expanded as need be by representatives of any other UK bodies with interests in engineering geology not represented at the meeting on 31 October 1973), should examine possible solutions to the problem of UK adherence to and representation on the IAEG and the implications of such solutions, and should make recommendations to the British National Committee for Geology.
Iin consequence, the present meeting had been convened with the following effective representation:
Engineeering Group of the Geological Society: Dr A B Hawkins
Hydrological Group of the Geological Society: Dr J D Mather
The British Geotechnical Society: Dr A Penman
The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy: Professor E Hoek (vice Dr P Fookes)
Association of Engineeering Geologists (London Section): Dr G Price
Professor Pitcher reported that Dr Penman, being unable to attend the meeting, had made a written submission wherein the British Geotechnical Society undertook to act as the British national body for the IAEG, if so required.
3. Requirements
With reference to minute 3 of 31 October 1973, Professor Dearman recapitulated the facets of the requirements for a national affiliate to IAEG on behalf of the UK:
i. A central formal and authoritative focus for the UK in relation to the IAEG;
ii. The facility for appointment of a UK representative to IAEG and its congresses;
iii. The provision of a notional link to the British National Committee for Geology to mirror the international affiliated staus of the IAEG in relation to the IAEG;
1v. Additionally, individual subscriptions to the IAEG for the IAEG Bulletin and as a memership fee to be collected centrally and made over to IAEG annually as a lump payment;
v. Distribution of the IAEG Bulletin to the UK members, asssessed as totalling less than 50.
4. Potential solutions
The meeting considered in turn the three possible mechanisms for achieving the establishment of a UK national affiliate:
a. The British Geotechnical Society: Professor Dearman indicated tht the original obstacle to either the British Geotechnical Society or the Engineeering Geology Group acting as the UK affiliate, ie the payment of a catitation fee in proportion to the total membership, had lost its force as the IAEG had of late relaxed this requirement. Notwithstanding this and Dr Penman's written offer, there was agreement tht the interests of engineering geology within the British eotechnical Society would be swamped by the interests of soil and rock mechanics.
b. Engineering Biology Group: while there appered no over-riding reason against this group acting as the intermediary for subscription fees, Professor Pitcher emphasized that the group could not conceivable establish what would be ipso facto a British national committee.
c. The Royal Society's British National Committee for Geology: as Sir David Martin pointed out the principal stumbling block for the Royal Society accepting responsibility for a national affiliate to IAEG woudl be the IAEG requirement for collecting subscription fees. It was indicated, however, that the Royal Society's secretariat could service a subcommittee corresponding to the IAEG, act as the focus for correspondence with the IAEG and distribute the IAEG Bulletin within the UK (provided the number involved were within reason i.e. did not exceed 50 or so.)
Dr Price intimated that the preferabl;e solution was to seek the umbrella of an established organization with a secretariat to service the national affiliate comprising representatives of all the engineering geological interests in the UK; in this sense, the solution of a subcmmittee of the British NAtional Committee for Geology would serve admirably, if the financial problem could be overcome. Professor Hoek expressed the view that the Engineering Geology Group of the Geological Society could undertake the subscription serviceing, probably, as Professor Pitcher indicated, by nominating a member to act as Treasurer, this plan being subject to the approval of the Geological Society and its Engineeering Geology Group.
5. Recommended solution
Following consideration of the possibilities (minute 4), it was unanimously agreed to recommend to the British National Committee for Geology -
That a Subcommittee for Engineeering Geology be established to correspnd to the Interanational Association of Engineeering Geology, on the assumption that the collection and payment of individual subscriptions to the IAEG woudl be undertaken by another body and that there would be no requirement for national dues to be paid by the Royal Society to IAEG and also agreed that the Engineering Geology Group of the Geological Society be invited to undertake the responsibilities for collection of UK subscriptions to the IAEG.
6. Proposed membership
The following were nominated as potential members of the proposed Subcommittee, showing parenthetically the institutions which they woudl represent even though appointment would be on a personal basis.
Professor W E Dearman (ex officio as member of IAEG Executive Committee)
Dr P Fookes (Institution of Mining and Metallurgy)
Dr A R Hawkins (Engineering Geology Group)
Professor J L Krill (Association for Promoting the Institution of Professional Geologists)
Dr J Mather (Hydrological Group)
Professor J Nash
Dr A Penman (British Geotechnical Society)
Dr D G Price (Association of Engineering Geologists - London Section)
A second representative of the Engineeering Geology Group, with responsibility for IAEG subscriptions.
7. Terms of reference
It was agreed that the proposed Subcommittee's terms of refgerence should be -
i. To correspond with the International Association of Engineering Geology [IAEG], but without responsibility for IAEG subscriptions.
ii. To nominate United Kingdom representatives to IAEG plenary meetings;
iii. To report to the British National Committee for Geology.
8. Publicity
It was agreed that if the recommendation for the formation of an Engineering Geology Subcommittee was approved, notice to this effect and of the arrangements for collection of subscriptions should be included int he Newsletter of the Geological Society. |